Get Your Manager's Attention

Are you determined to bring QiDANCE to your club, but not sure how to convince the group fitness manager to add it to the schedule? There are some simple, yet essential steps you can take to improve your chances. Hmm, maybe give your director a note that says, “Take a Chance with QiDANCE!!”

We have received many inquiries from newly trained QiDANCE instructors who need some advice on how to bring QiGNITION classes to their clubs. So we asked an expert, Melissa Towey, the National Group Fitness manager for MediFit, to share her tips. She also happens to be a QiGNITION master trainer. This is her advice:

QiDANCE is still the new kid on the block, and it’s possible your group exercise director has never heard of it. So, when you have your moment to pitch QiDANCE to your director, you need to exude passion and conviction, while also educating the director on the format, the benefits to members and how it will bring something unique to the program. Directors choose what goes on the schedule based on a class format’s ability to be perceived as cutting edge and customer friendly. They also want to know that YOU love what you’re teaching.

Make yourself aware of the unique components that make up a QiDANCE class: world and genre dance, intuitive instruction, and original music by a multi-Grammy winner. Do your homework and re-visit your course manual so that you can successfully explain intuitive instruction. And be prepared to brag about Kike Santander’s energetic music! If you really want to make an impact, print out his Wikipedia page!

Additionally, directors become highly intrigued by what they hear from members. If your participants and director approve, take ten minutes at the end of your current classes to share a few QiDANCE numbers. This will get your students psyched up to learn more, and will create the buzz you need to bring QiDANCE to the club.

If you are pitching this class to a club where you don’t currently work, offer to do a free demo class for members as a way of auditioning. Sometimes we have to give something in order to receive something. It’s a worthwhile investment!

Directors are looking for the cream of the crop, so if you want to stand out as the right person to be hired or given the new class, you need to be confident and knowledgeable when you pitch QiDANCE. Of course, it’s a must that you have an enthusiastic personality and know your choreography!

When I’m hiring, the top five qualities I look for are technical skills, education, confidence, service attitude and personalty.

Technical Skills - Musicality & Cuing should be spot-on. If you need help with this, look for a continuing education course at a conference near you or ask an instructor to mentor you.

Education - Do you have a current primary group exercise certification from a respected organization? If you joined the QiDANCE instructor community because you just love the format and decided to pursue fitness as a career, go out and get your group exercise certification. It will elevate you that much more in my (and any director’s) eyes!

Confidence - Understand the format you’re teaching. And work on your ability to bluff in case you momentarily blank on your choreography. When you’re confident, members trust you. When they trust you, they feel safe. Confidence without the skills to back it up will not engender trust for very long, so know your material and your strengths.

Service Attitude - Be genuinely interested in the health and well-being of the members; this is their workout, not yours. Be humble.

Personality- Use your unique personality to “own” the class and include everyone in the fun.

A good instructor is like a QiDANCE program - excellence built on a strong foundation, with room for individual flair and modification based on the needs of the participants at the time!

Melissa Towey is a group fitness instructor, presenter and continuing education provider for ACE, AFAA and Interactive Fitness Trainers of American (IFTA). As a Master Trainer with QiGNITION and the National Group Fitness Manager for MediFit, a management consulting company delivering employer and community-based fitness and wellness programming to over 225 fitness centers across the US, Canada and Puerto Rico, Melissa is here to help bring QiDANCE to the lives of the millions of fitness center members across the globe.

Let us know your tips for getting a new class or teacher on the group fitness schedule in the comments below.

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